Apollo 11 moon landing conspiracy theories – we bust the most popular myths…
THIS SATURDAY will be the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, but there are still those who doubt the official story and plenty of conspiracy theories suggesting it never happened.
A recent YouGov poll found that one in six British people agreed with the statement “the moon landings were staged” but below is a list of some of the most popular moon landing conspiracies and the evidence that debunks them.
No stars are visible in the pictures
Some people argue that the first moon landing was staged in a studio setting because no stars are visible in any of the pictures taken.
However, camera experts have explained this by pointing out that the astronauts were using cameras with high shutter speeds, which means their camera shutters were open for fractions of a second and not long enough to capture the faint light of far away stars.
The Moon Landing also occurred during a lunar morning so the Sun could have been shining too brightly for the stars to be visible.
Flag appears to wave when there is no wind on the Moon
There is no wind on the Moon so conspiracy theorists are adamant that the American flag shouldn’t have been ‘flapping’ when it was stuck in the ground there.
However, experts have pointed out that the flag does not move unless directly touched and it takes a long time to settle due to there being no atmosphere.
The flag is only seen moving in the footage just after the astronaut places it on the surface.
Lack of a blast crater when the spacecraft landed
Some people think that the Apollo 11 lunar lander known as the Eaglerests should have made more of an impact on the Moon when it landed.
However, experts say that the lander didn’t hover long enough to form a crater and some say the thrust and gravitational pull would not have been strong enough to make a large and visible impact.
The landing module of the spaceshuttle also touched down on solid rock.
“Someone else would have to be on the Moon to film the first step”
This is a confusing point until you learn that the first step on the Moon was actually filmed by a camera mounted on the Eagle lander.
The pictures that a lot of people relate to Neil Armstrong’s first step on the Moon are actually of Buzz Aldrin and were taken by Armstrong.
Issues with the way shadows fall, suggesting there was several light sources like lights in a studio
The footage of the first Moon Landing shows shadows falling in different directions for different objects.
Some conspiracy theorists think this is proof that the Moon Landing was staged in a studio with multiple light sources.
However, each object only casts one shadow suggesting there was only one light source and a low Sun and uneven surface is said to distort the angles of shadows.
You can’t see the cameras that the astronauts used to take pictures
One of the most famous images from the Apollo 11 Moon mission is that of Neil Armstrong and the Eaglelunar lander reflected in Buzz Aldrin’s visor.
However, some conspiracy theorists have questioned who took the photo as no camera is visible on either astronaut.
The cameras were actually mounted on the astronauts suits meaning they wouldn’t have been holding them up to their visors.
In the picture you can just about make out Neil Armstrong’s arms up at his chest.
Apollo 11 mission – the key facts
Here’s what you need to know…
- Apollo 11 is the name for the mission that landed the first two people on the Moon
- The spaceflight was manned by Command Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, both Americans
- They landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969 and 8.17pm UTC
- Armstrong became the first person to set food on the lunar surface six hours later
- He was then joined by Aldrin a further 19 minutes later
- The pair spent roughly two hours and 15 minutes together outside the spacecraft, collecting lunar material to bring back to Earth
- And in total, they spent 21.5 hours on the lunar surface before rejoining the command module Columbia in lunar orbit
- Armstrong’s first step onto the lunar surface was broadcast live on TV to the world
- He famously described the moment as “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”
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In other news, Apollo 11 Moon Landing astronauts coped with no toilet and used bags taped to bums and ‘pee condoms’, a Nasa report reveals.
A recent study revealed the Moon may be shrinking due to drastic changes to its surface.
And, scientists have discovered a metal structure bigger than Denmark below the lunar surface.
Do you believe that the first man walked on the Moon in 1969? Let us know in the comments…
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